Thoughts and observations about Modesto and Stanislaus County

Please Don’t Sell Our Future MID!

By an EOM Contributor

Modesto and Turlock are the nucleus of our agricultural growth. The water rights and the water are the absolute lifeblood of agriculture in the Modesto/Turlock region. Reliable and low-cost irrigation water available to MID and TID is the main reason why agriculture is so productive in our area and farmland prices remain strong. Irrigation water must be protected. It provides thousands of jobs for our agricultural community and local economy, in addition to many spin-off industries. This is an example of the multiplier effect (another example – $25 million from SF water vs. $500 million in jobs and food from our valley). We feed the county, the state, the nation and the world with our agricultural products, all because of our water! We are talking jobs, jobs, jobs and food, food, food! I don’t want anyone cutting deals and messing with our water!! As a voter and resident of this county, I certainly don’t want to see the farmers and owners and ratepayers blackmailed or short-changed with our food supply because we sold off our water. One important reason for our nations strength and prosperity is that historically, we have always grown our own food, provided for our people and have not depended on foreign nations for it. Along with selling our water, we would be selling our inheritance and our very soul over this issue.

On behalf of the farmers, landowners, rate payers and voters, I respectfully request that the MID board be of one mind and vote to sell NOT ONE DROP of our water to San Francisco. MID and TID should focus on agricultural water and electricity and NOT be in the municipal water business.

If we give up our water, we are so screwed both now and in the future!

What you’ve just read was a spoken plea at a recent MID meeting by a local resident.